feature photo: Aubre Hill
Dan Rosenboom releases have been covered in the space since 2013 and since then, we’ve witnessed the trumpeter, composer and bandleader take on a whole host of styles, moods, ensemble structures and forms. They’ve all carried ambition but his 2025 offering Coordinates (Orenda Records) might be his most ambitious one yet…because it combines many of those prior ambitions.
In the past, Rosenboom had demonstrated mastery of straight jazz, classical, experimental metal, jazz fusion and more. All of these streams are present on Coordinates, and while the idea of pulling together disparate genres into a single, novel one isn’t a new idea, Rosenboom brings a lot of background in all these music forms to the table.
For one, classical music isn’t a mere genre exercise to the former symphony orchestra musician, it’s in his musical DNA and he knows how to work this style into his special alchemy in a fresh way. Even when classical instruments aren’t prominent, Rosenboom brings that element into how he writes and arranges the scores, which still leaves room for improvisation…another specialty of his.
Rosenboom’s roux for his gumbo comprises of himself, Jake Vossler (guitars), Jerry Watts, Jr. (electric bass) and Caleb Dolister (drums). The fun comes from how Rosenboom coats extra instrumentation on top of this foundation. It’s varies for each track and his arrangements reveal as much details as the compositions themselves. The diverse contributors Rosenboom had enlisted for this project are many of the best musicians from the jazz, experimental, classical and cinematic scenes of Los Angeles, Rosenboom’s hometown.
Every track is designed to be impactful. “Coordinate 1: Many Worlds, Many Dances” delves into a world where a King Crimson/Return To Forever mongrel is bolstered with funky sax/trumpet front line. Rosenboom adds more reed to “Coordinate 3: Syzygy” Katisse Buckingham’s flute gets extended time extemporizing over a funk-metal groove before Rosenboom’s trumpet takes the reigns.
“Coordinate 2: Apophis” and tosses in a marimba for good measure. He doesn’t insert certain instruments just because he can; the contralto clarinet used on this track — a symphony instrument — has a snarl that goes hand in hand with the metal guitar. Mathematical unison lines bracket searing individual asides, the power of primitive music channeled through a highbrow arrangement.
“Coordinate 4: Nemesis,” as the name implies, is particularly menacing, and Rosenboom again makes imaginative choices for soloists: viola (Lauren Elizabeth Baba) and baritone sax (Gavin Templeton). “Oracles” presents a new succession of new soloists, most notably Joshua White, whose piano provides a moment of avant-garde jazz amid hard rock complexion.
But it isn’t all power fusion-prog. “Josephine’s Dream” is a pensive ballad featuring the harp of Jacquline Kerrod and the Lyris String Quartet gently makes its way into the song, adding a gracefully classical lilt.
The sparse, ominous “Old Ghosts” gives way to the most complete song of this set, “Coordinate 5: Hyperion” which weaves all of these influences into an integrated, sweeping tapestry. Bringing in a full brass sextet and a string quartet, Rosenboom enlists them with a base modern jazz-rock ensemble to carry out a detailed, modern creative piece that follows in the bold spirit of George Russell but with a metal flair.
Dan Rosenboom has developed a fine career making adventurous music of many stripes. With Coordinates, he masterfully pulls it all together.
Pick up Coordinates now from Bandcamp.
*** Dan Rosenboom CD’s and vinyl on Amazon ***
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